The Kiss That Didn't Count
by HagarenKokoro
Summary: Austin takes Ally to the carnival and kisses her for the first time - but their lips never actually touch! Does it count as a first kiss? Is Austin too shy to kiss her for real? Lips collide, fingers entangle, blushing ensues. Told from Ally's POV so we can admire Austin's gorgeous shyness in all its glory. It's the moment they realize they might be more than friends...
1. Playing Games

"Austin, I should tell you…I'm a little claustrophobic."

We were at the front of the line, and I was getting nervous. I twisted my Ring Pop on my finger.

Austin gave me a flat look. "It's either this or the ferris wheel. I'm going to drag you onto at least one of them."

Well, that decided it. There was nothing I was more scared of than the ferris wheel. "OK." I took a deep breath. "But if I go on this ride, you have to win me a giant teddy bear in one of the mini-games."

"Deal."

The lady told us it was our turn, and I climbed into my plastic bubble, and Austin climbed into his. I thought it would be scary, but it actually felt cozy, and comfortable. I pressed my hands to the plastic and stepped forward, carefully. The whole thing wobbled beneath my feet.

I looked over and saw Austin take a giant step forward in his bubble. The bubble leapt forward, but the ground rolled from under his feet and made him fall over. When he saw me laughing, he climbed to his feet and inched his ball closer to mine.

I inched closer as well, until the outside of our bubbles pressed together. Both of our hands were resting on the plastic to hold our balance, and I saw him shift his hands over so they were against mine. I couldn't feel his touch, but somehow, the gesture seemed intimate. I felt a blush dust across my face.

I had to ask the question that was dancing through my mind. "This is your favorite ride?"

His smile was warm and open ."Yeah. Do you like it?"

"I do," I said, growing even warmer under his gaze. "I was just wondering…if you take any other girls here."

"Um…" He looked away.

My heart pounded as I wondered, for a heart-splitting second, whether I had blown it and given myself away.

"No, I haven't really taken any girls here." He shrugged. "Most girls aren't into the stuff I like."

I felt relieved, though I didn't know why. "I guess it doesn't matter, as long as she likes you, right?"

He grinned. "Like you and me. We're practically opposites, but I like hanging out with you. It doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe because you have everything I don't have."

"Like what?" He raised his eyebrows.

My fingers traced the outline of his hand, through the plastic. "Like the fact that you don't have stage fright. And you have lots of friends. And you're never afraid of anything."

"Hey, I am afraid of stuff," he protested. His voice dropped to a whisper, as if he didn't want anyone to hear. "Umbrellas, remember?"

"That's not a real fear," I said, waving my hand. "You can just avoid umbrellas. But I'm afraid of not being good enough, and I'm afraid of failing, and I'm afraid that people won't like me. And that doesn't go away…no matter where I go, or what I do."

"Ally." He regarded me for a long moment. Then he leaned forward and said, "Everything I have, I'll give to you."

I laughed, sure that he was joking. "You'll give me your courage? And your dancing ability? Because I could really use that."

"Anything that you want, I'll give to you. But you have to give me everything, too." He looked away, as if weighing in his mind what he wanted. "You'll have to give me your smile, so I can see it everyday. And you have to let me kiss you whenever I want."

I put a hand to my mouth, stunned into silence.

"Like right now." Austin tilted his head to the side, and fixed his gaze on my lips. I realized I was still wearing the Ring Pop he'd given me. "I really want to kiss you right now."


	2. Kissing a Friend

I leaned toward him, closed my eyes, and pressed my lips to the edge of my bubble. I felt his bubble shift against mine, and realized he was kissing me back. I imagined with all my might that I could feel Austin's lips moving against mine, and that my hands were intertwined with his.

And I felt it. I really did. I could even feel his soft laugh against the plastic, and I laughed, too. Then I went back to kissing him.

I heard a low cough, and opened my eyes to see the employee lady standing outside our bubbles, looking down at us. I was instantly embarassed, but Austin had a blissful smile on his face that said he didn't care. The lady yanked us out of our bubbles, gave us a few sharp words, then sent us on our way.

We made our way to a bench and sat down. A man wheeled a cotton-candy cart past us, and Austin immediately stood up and dug out his wallet.

"I'm going to get us some cotton-candy. Be right back."

He pushed his way through the crowd, and I watched him go, staring at his back and shoulders as if they might hold some sort of answer there.

As I waited for him to return, I started rehearsing things to say in my mind. I had never done that before – worried about what I was going to say around Austin. I was worried that whatever had happened between us was a fragile thing – still growing – and anything I said might shatter it and ruin our friendship. My heart beat faster in my chest, almost as fast as it had pounded during our kiss.

And another question – did that count as a kiss? It sure felt like one. My lips still tingled as if they had actually touched him. My mouth ached to do it again.

One thing I liked about Austin – I could always spot him from far away, because he stood at least a head taller than everyone else. I saw him appear at the edge of the crowd, holding a cone of cotton-candy in each hand. He had a relaxed smile on his face as if nothing in the world could bother him at that moment. I found myself smiling right back, and everything melted away.

He handed me the swirl of pink fluff, and sat down next to me. Austin held his cone, but didn't try any of it. "How's it taste?"

It tasted like fizzy pink peaches. I smiled at him and said, "Why don't you find out for yourself?"

Austin got a far away look in his eyes, and said, "I think I will."

He leaned in and kissed me, and I gasped in surprise. His kiss was soft and curious, not pushing or forcing at all, as if he was asking me a question and I held the answer. My answer was clear – I kissed him back, closing my eyes and savoring the sensation of his mouth pressed against mine. The taste of him was much sweeter than any candy. He was sugar and warmth, and everything familiar and comforting that I had come to love about him.

It was our second kiss, but in some ways, it was our first one.


End file.
